MPhil/PhD in Education (2023 Entry)
Find out more about our MPhil/PhD in Education.
Education Studies at Warwick includes three overarching strands: Learning, Society and Cultures. These strands group academics with a shared interest in educational research and scholarship, providing a space for meaningful and multi-disciplinary collaborations across the Department and beyond. The Department’s ethos is that educational research and scholarship exist to find solutions to questions of ‘what works’ in terms of policy and practice, but also to problematise existing policy and practice by posing new questions about the purposes and the future of education, in the UK and globally. The University of Warwick's Doctorate in Education welcomes world-class applicants with a commitment to educational research and challenge. The Department of Education Studies was ranked 6th in the UK for Education (The Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022).
Course overview
The PhD is designed as a programme combining advanced research methods training and individual, supervised research, leading to an 80,000 word thesis. The thesis is expected to be a substantial original contribution to knowledge and, in principle, to have the potential to be developed into peer-reviewed publication.
Teaching and learning
The PhD programme has an Advanced Research Methods training element that is compulsory, and all students complete an Upgrade examination (a written portfolio and oral examination) in order to progress from MPhil to PhD. The research methods training takes place via online mode on Saturday mornings spread out over the first year. Students work with their supervisors on their independent projects throughout the course. We have research student work rooms within the department with desktop computers available.
Specific departmental guidance is available on preparing applications to the Department of Education Studies and on Preparing a Research Proposal.
What does it mean to study and research Education?
Education provides us with an essential foundation for life in a fair and equitable society – it underpins how we act and see the world and is the engine of social and cultural change and reproduction.
Education gives the basis for innovation in thought, culture and technology; it nurtures a sense of citizenship and social participation; it underpins our political and economic robustness; and is the foundation of the knowledge and skills that society shares.
Education is fundamentally about human development, equity and social justice. Education is something that everyone experiences: it is life-long and society wide; it is local as well as global; it takes place in the home, in prisons, in refugee centres, in places of worship, in the workplace, on the sports field, in the theatre, in the pub as well as in the classroom.
Education, like Politics, is inherently interdisciplinary – it is an applied field of study founded in four core disciplines: sociology, psychology, history and philosophy. It is necessarily pluralist and eclectic, drawing upon a range of theoretical, conceptual and methodological perspectives.
Therefore, in studying and researching Education we work to understand the fundamental questions about why we educate, how we educate, who we educate and what purpose education serves.
Find out more about us on our website.
General entry requirements
Minimum requirements
2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in Education, any relevant Social Sciences or Humanities discipline, or another relevant discipline if justified.
A Master’s degree in Education, any relevant Social Sciences or Humanities discipline, or another relevant discipline if justified.
English language requirements
You can find out more about our English language requirementsLink opens in a new window. This course requires the following:
- Band B
- With a minimum of 6.5 in the Writing component.
International qualifications
We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.
For more information, please visit the international entry requirements pageLink opens in a new window.
Additional requirements
There are no additional entry requirements for this course.
Our research
Our main research themes are:
Learning
- Special educational needs and disability
- Early years’ education
- Philosophy of mind and thought
- Educational leadership and development
Cultures
- Drama and theatre education
- Creative and arts-based learning
- Sociology of arts and religion
- Modern Islamic pedagogies
Society
- Education inequalities and social justice
- Sociologies of childhood and fatherhood
- Education policy
- Feminist and gender pedagogy
- Higher education
- International development
Full details of our research interests are listed on the Education Studies web pagesLink opens in a new window.
You can also read our general University research proposal guidance.
Find a supervisor
It is advisable to locate a potential supervisor using the link below and to discuss with them the area you'd like to research.
We have over 20 full-time academic staff members with many research strengths who could be your supervisors. Explore our Staff Research Directory where you will be able to filter by research interests.
You can also see our general University guidance about finding a supervisor.Link opens in a new window
Tuition fees
Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.
Taught course fees Research course fees
Fee Status Guidance
The University carries out an initial fee status assessment based on information provided in the application and according to the guidance published by UKCISA. Students are classified as either Home or Overseas Fee status and this can determine the tuition fee and eligibility of certain scholarships and financial support.
If you receive an offer, your fee status will be stated with the tuition fee information, however we are awaiting guidance from the UK government regarding fee status for EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals and their family members living in the UK for academic year 2021/22 onwards. We are not able to confirm the fee status for these students until the relevant eligibility criteria have been confirmed. Once we have received further information from the UK government, we will provide you with an update on your fee status and let you know if any additional information is required. If you believe your fee status has been incorrectly classified you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire (follow the instructions in your offer) and provide the required documentation for this to be reassessed.
The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) provides guidance to UK universities on fees status criteria, you can find the latest guidance on the impact of Brexit on fees and student support on the UKCISA website.
Additional course costs
Please contact your academic department for information about department specific costs, which should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below, such as:
- Core text books
- Printer credits
- Dissertation binding
- Robe hire for your degree ceremony
Scholarships and bursaries
Scholarships and financial support
Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.
Living costs
Find out more about the cost of living as a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick.
Education Studies
What does it mean to study and research Education?
Education provides us with an essential foundation for life in a fair and equitable society – it underpins how we act and see the world and is the engine of social and cultural change and reproduction.
Education gives the basis for innovation in thought, culture and technology; it nurtures a sense of citizenship and social participation; it underpins our political and economic robustness; and is the foundation of the knowledge and skills that society shares.
Education is fundamentally about human development, equity and social justice. Education is something that everyone experiences: it is life-long and society wide; it is local as well as global; it takes place in the home, in prisons, in refugee centres, in places of worship, in the workplace, on the sports field, in the theatre, in the pub as well as in the classroom.
Education, like Politics, is inherently interdisciplinary – it is an applied field of study founded in four core disciplines: sociology, psychology, history and philosophy. It is necessarily pluralist and eclectic, drawing upon a range of theoretical, conceptual and methodological perspectives.
Therefore, in studying and researching Education we work to understand the fundamental questions about why we educate, how we educate, who we educate and what purpose education serves.
Find out more about us on our website.
Our Postgraduate Taught courses
- Childhood in Society (MA)
- Drama and Theatre Education (MA)
- Drama Education and English Language Teaching (MA)
- Education (MA)
- Educational Innovation (MA)
- Educational Leadership and Management (MA)
- Foundation Research Methods in Education (PGA)
- Global Education and International Development (MA)
- Islamic Education (PGA)
- Islamic Education: Theory and Practice (MA)
- Leading Educational Change and Improvement (PGA)
- Psychology and Education (MA)
Our Postgraduate Research courses
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Here is our checklist on how to apply for research postgraduate degrees at the University of Warwick.
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